Critique of John Henry

By: Julius Lester

Ilustrated By: Jerry Pinkney

Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney have turned the African American folk ballad into an inspirational story about a man named John Henry. The author notes in the beginning of the story that even though numerous people have tried to prove the actual existence of John Henry, it is not certain that this man existed. The author goes on to state that the figure of John Henry achieved his place in Americana through a novel, John Henry (1931) by Roark Bradford (Lester & Pinkney, 1994). This story begins with the birth and instantaneous growth of John Henry, “He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch” (Lester & Pinkney, 1994). Through the text and the illustrations, the reader gets a clear picture of how fast John Henry grew. The story proceeds on to talk about the events that take place where John Henry proves how big, strong and fearless he is. At the end of the book, John Henry decided to take on a steam drill to break through a mountain. On one side of the mountain, John Henry used his hammers; on the other side of the mountain, the railroad boss used the steam drill. After a day, John Henry met the steam drill and had covered a mile and a quarter through the mountain, while the steam drill had only gone a quarter of a mile. John Henry walked out of the tunnel, smiled, closed his eyes then fell to the ground and died.

One of my favorite parts of the story came at the end with this quote, “Dying ain’t important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living” (Lester & Pinkney, 1994). After reading this quote, it gave me great insight on how I should not take any day for granted. The story line, along with the exceptional illustrations, provides the reader with an inspirational and historical story.
I think one thing that made this book so appealing was Lester’s use of personification. For example, “Then came the sound of soft crying. Some said it came from the moon. Another one said she saw the sun shed a tear “(Lester & Pinkney, 1994). This is perfect example of the personification found through out the story. I think this story sends an uplifting message to readers about living life to its fullest.

Other stories written by Julius Lester include:
Day of Tear
To Be A Slave
Guardian
Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales
Black Folktales